Elastic top for hosiery



May 27, 1952 N H $M|TH 2,598,144

ELASTIC TOP FOR HOSIER Filed June 13, 1950 Patented May 27, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT time 2,598,144 I H .nnas'rlo'ror FQR Hosnrny v Norman 11; Smith;.Pawtucket,-R 1;, assignor to Hemphill Company, Central Falls, R. L, a corporatlon of Massachusetts Application June is, marshal N6. 1671735 1 This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in elastic top hosiery and, in particular, to the selvage edge of the elastic top which unlike that of most elastic tops in current use is composed entirely of elastic yarn. The selvage .and adjacent part of the elastic top of this invention is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1 and the approximate appearance of the finished edge is shown in Fig. 2. Both of these figures are, of course, greatly enlarged.

Practically all elastic tops in current use are essentially alike in that they consist of plain knitted fabric through the sinker loops of the first course of which an elastic yarn is threaded. This yarn then continues through all of the sinker loops of all or spaced subsequent courses. In other words, the elastic runs in a smooth spiral through the inelastic knitted fabric Without any knitted elastic loops whatsoever. A top of this character, when the elastic is contracted, has the appearance of plain fabric. When it is stretched, it resembles, more or less, 1 x 1 rib fabric. An example of this sort of top will be found in the disclosure of Getaz Patent No. 2,344,350.

Unlike this top, the top of this invention has a selvage composed of two different elastic yarns, one of which is inlaid in part and tucked in part and the other of which is knitted. This is followed by the usual plain fabric. Also, one of the elastic yarns utilized in making the selvage may be inlaid at every fourth wale of every course throughout. This construction results in an elastic top which, when the elastic is contracted, has a decided ribbed appearance which is accentuated when the elastic is stretched and is, consequently, entirely different than 1 x 1 rib fabric. The selvage being all elastic has a stretch which is limited only by the strength of the elastic itself and is not restricted, as in present day tops and that of the patent referred to, to the comparative inelasticity of the inelastic fabric. In consequence, if the elastic yarn is incorporated in the selvage under controlled and rather light tension, an extremely soft and comfortable edge is produced. Furthermore, the tendency of the elastic to slip out of some of the loops of the first course, which is a common defect in present day tops, is entirely eliminated by the juxtaposition of elastic against elastic and the manner in which the selvage is formed.

As shown in Fig. 1, the selvage is started by feeding an elastic yarn I to alternate needles such as 2, 3, 4 and 5 of a circular, independent needle knitting machine. These needles are not permitted to knit and, consequently, two rounds 4 claims. (o1. ce- 1 72) of elastic yarn I are reeled upon them. Then a second elastic yarn 6 is fed to every other one 0f the alternate needles referred to, such as 3 and 5, and is then knit through both of the strands of elastic yarn I. A second similar course of elastic yarn B is thenknit but in this case elastic yarn 6 is knitted through itself and not through elastic yarn I in the same wales as before. Thereupon, an inelastic yarn "I is thrown in and knit on all of the needles as the result of which it is knitted around elastic yarn I which has been held on needles, such as 2, 4, etc., and through elastic yarn 6 in the Wales corresponding to needles 3, 5, etc. Thereafter, the knitting of the rest of the top of inelastic yarn continues in the usual way. Also, as shown, elastic yarn I may be inlaid in every course in wales corresponding to needles 3, 5, etc. throughout the top to continue the rib characteristic begun by the selvage.

As far as the selvage is concerned, this inlaying of elastic yarn I last mentioned is not essential but once elastic yarn I has been introduced it is convenient to leave its feed in action to simplify as much as possible the required mechanical steps. In the elastic portion of the top, it is essential that elastic be inlaid as shown in every fourth wale of every course.

It will be noted that the inelastic yarn is joined to elastic yarn I at every fourth Wale only and to elastic yarn 6 at every fourth wale only. Also, it will be noted that wales, such as those corresponding to needles 3 and 5, are made runproof by the first course of elastic yarn 6, whereas, wales, such as 2 and 4, are not made runproof until the inelastic yarn is knitted. It will also be noted that this latter characteristic produces tucks of elastic yarn I which combined with the tendency of elastic to straighten out accounts for the re-arrangement of the courses made strikingly apparent by Fig. 2.

I claim:

1. An elastic selvage for hosiery which includes an initial course of an elastic yarn knitted into a loop at every fourth wale only with two rounds of another elastic yarn inlaid therein, a second course of said first mentioned elastic yarn knitted through the loops of said initial course, an inelastic yarn knitted at every Wale and knitted through the loops of the second course of said first mentioned elastic yarn at every fourth wale and around said other elastic yarn at every second wale from the wales last mentioned.

2. An elastic selvage for hosiery which includes an initial course of an elastic yarn knitted into a loop at every fourth wale only with two rounds of another elastic yarn inlaid therein, a second course of said first mentioned elastic yarn knitted through the loops of said initial course, an inelastic yarn knitted at every Wale and knitted through the loops of the second course of said first mentioned elastic yarn at every fourth wale and around said other elastic yarn at every second wale from the wales last mentioned, said other yarn also being inlaid in every course of the first mentioned elastic yarn at the wales at which said first mentioned elastic yarn is knitted and also in the same wales of the inelastic yarn.

3. An elastic selvage for hosiery which includes a course of an elastic yarn knitted into a loop at every fourth wale, a second similar course of said elastic yarn knitted through said first course at the same wales, an inelastic yarn knitted at every Wale and through said last mentioned course of said elastic yarn at said every fourth wale and another elastic yarn inlaid in the initial course of said first mentioned elastic yarn and loops of inelastic yarn to form an antiravel salvage.

4. An elastic top for hosiery which comprises a plurality of knitted courses including a course of an elastic yarn knitted into a loop at every fourth Wale, a second similar course of said elastic yarn knitted through said first course at the same wales, a course of inelastic yarn knitted through said last mentioned course of said elastic yarn at said every fourth Wale, a plurality of courses of inelastic yarn knit at every wale, and another elastic yarn inlaid in the initial course of said first mentioned elastic yarn and said course of inelastic yarn knit at said every fourth wale to form an anti-ravel selvage, said other elastic yarn also being inlaid in all other of said courses of said top at the same every fourth wale.

NORMAN H. SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,188,295 Getaz Jan. 30, 1940 2,201,557 Getaz May 21, 1940 2,256,690 Smith, Jr Sept. 23, 1941 2,256,691 Smith, Jr Sept. 23, 1941 2,276,953 Fregeolle et al Mar. 17, 1942 2,283,585 Smith, Jr May 19, 1942 2,289,580 Lawson July 14, 1942 2,289,581 Lawson July 14, 1942 2,323,988 Fregeolle July 13, 1943 2,380,768 Lawson July 31, 1945 

